“Load bars” or “cargo bars” are length-adjustable load bracing bars used in the wall-enclosed cargo areas of freight trucks and vans. Referring to FIG. 1, the cargo area 12 of a typical van or truck is partially illustrated with a floor 14, side walls 16, end wall 18, and roof 20. The side walls of such cargo areas are commonly equipped with “E-tracks” 30, comprising metal rails with specially shaped slots 32 adapted to receive mating “E-clips” 42 on the ends of load bars 40. E-clips 42 are designed to latch into slots 40, remaining securely connected until intentionally released, in order to lock the load bars 40 horizontally between side walls 16 in various cargo-stabilizing positions.
E-track is generally known to those in the field of loading and securing cargo in commercial truck interiors. E-track is believed to be an industry standard for cargo control, and is commercially available under different trademarks. E-track 30 may be a vertical type designed to be mounted vertically on side walls 16, with vertical slots 32 aligned with the long axis of the track 30, as shown in FIG. 1; or, E-track may be a horizontal type designed to be mounted horizontally (running from front to back) on side walls 16, with vertical slots perpendicular to the long axis of the track. In both cases the slots 30 are oriented vertically in use, so E-clips 42 are accordingly mounted on the ends of load bars 40 for engaging vertical slots.
When load bars 40 are not being used to secure cargo 22, the bars are often stored horizontally against end wall 18 as shown, clipped into the last row of E-track nearest the end wall. Alternately, unused bars 40 are often laid on the floor 14. Both storage methods have drawbacks. When stored against end wall 18, bars 40 are difficult to retrieve without climbing over cargo 22, which is both inconvenient and a safety hazard. When unused bars 40 are laid on floor 14, they can interfere with loading and unloading, especially when using pallets 22a moved by forklift equipment, and they can present a tripping hazard to people moving around in the cargo area. Load bars 40 may also be damaged if not stored properly, especially at their latching ends 42.
Some prior attempts have been made to store E-track compatible load bars in a more convenient and safe manner. One such attempt is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,281 to Sopel. Sopel discloses a wall-mounted rack, recommended for use in vertically spaced pairs and adapted to be clipped into horizontal E-track. The racks include outwardly-projecting arms that define frontward opening “slots” or compartments, each compartment capable of receiving a vertically oriented load bar. The ends of the arms include holes aligned to receive a horizontal retainer rod. With the retainer rod removed, load bars are placed vertically in the compartments, one rod per compartment. The retainer rod is then inserted through the aligned holes to secure the load bars in the rack.
The racks in the Sopel patent have several disadvantages. For example, they are recommended for use in pairs, requiring careful and sometimes tricky positioning of upper and lower racks relative to the E-slots for proper alignment of the racks' respective load bar compartments. The racks' compartment-defining arms project outwardly into the cargo compartment where people, cargo, and loading equipment move around, making the arms susceptible to damage and presenting a collision hazard to people and equipment—it is recommended that the outer tips of the arms be rounded to reduce the potential of injuring the loading personnel. The rigid retainer rod requires the load bar compartments to be deep enough to provide clearance between the bars and the rod, which would allow the load bars to rattle in their compartments. The rack length is dependent on a particular E-slot spacing, is non-adjustable, and substantially limits the racks' use to horizontal E-track. Also, the load bars are removed from the racks in a direction away from the side wall and toward the interior of the cargo area, posing a risk to personnel and cargo.